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Diplomacy Promotes Travel and Tourism to the United States

June 14 is Flag Day, and Americans everywhere are proudly flying the red, white, and blue. Here at the State Department, and at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, we are joining Secretary Clinton to gear up for Global Economic Statecraft Day . Today in Washington and nearly every other world capital, more than 350 events in 138 countries will let U.S. diplomats show what they do every day to help American businesses around the world. You can watch Secretary Clinton's remarks on Economic Statecraft right here on state.gov.

U.S. embassies are using this day to bring together local and American business to forge stronger economic ties, increase trade and commerce, promote tourism, and create jobs. Our embassies in Brazil, China, Australia, Libya and elsewhere have organized online and in-person discussions with business leaders to highlight the importance of economic linkages. Our embassies now have a "business" section on their websites where American companies interested in exporting to foreign markets and foreign companies looking to invest in the United States can easily find useful information. Central to this effort is travel and tourism. It is a critical element of the economic statecraft agenda because it translates into American jobs -- for every 65 visitors who come to the United States, one U.S. job is created.

The President's National Travel and Tourism Strategy is an effort by the U.S. government to show the world that America is open for business and ready to welcome visitors. The State Department is working with our interagency partners to make the United States a more welcoming place by streamlining our visa process, adding new interagency resources to embassy websites, and showing our overseas audiences the many wonders that our country has to offer. We have launched a campaign, 50 States in 50 Days, which invites the Department's 10-million-plus social media fans and 12-million visitors to our American Spaces to learn more about travel to the United States at DiscoverAmerica. Embassies around the world are sharing this content on their social media feeds and personalizing it for local audiences. The State Department is also launching a tourism page on its website.

Of course, June 14 is only the beginning. Just as the United States is bringing economics to the forefront of our foreign policy, the State Department recognizes that jobs and strengthening the economy are the top priority of people throughout the world, and that to achieve our goals, we must work together to create prosperity.